Silo



E. c. HODGE'S.

, SILO. APPLICATION HLED SEPTIT. 1920- Patented Sept.

5, 1922. 2 SHEETS SHEEI l fare/af r Cflvd flak- Attorney E. C. HODGES.

' SILO. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 1, wzo.

1,428,168, Patentedsept. 5, 1922..

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented ept. 5, 1922. 1

UNETED STATEg EMERY c. HODGES, or JOLIET, ILLINOIS.

' f I SILO.

Application filed September 7-, 1920. Serial No. 408,472.

To all to ham it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMERY C. Hooens, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Joilet, county of Will, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Silos, of which the following is a specification. I

My invention relates to improvements in silos, and has for its object the provision of an improved construction of this character adapted and arranged to maintain substantially uniform temperature therein and thus prevent or minimize fermentation in the summer and freezing in the'winter.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which.

Fig. 1, is a horizontal section of a silo embodying the invention, said section being taken substantially on line 1'1 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 2, a horizontal section taken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 3, a vertical section of the silo.

The preferred form of construction, as illustrated in the drawings, comprises an annular foundation 4; sunk well below the surface of the ground and consisting of a body of cinders, crushed stone, brick bats, or any other absorber, arranged as indicated. The walls 5 of the silo are arranged on this foundation projecting upwardly therefrom above the surface of the ground said walls being double walls with an air space 6 between them, and being held together by suitable tie bars arranged at intervals.

A hollow cap 8, composed of hollow tiles or blocks, is arranged on top of the walls 5, as indicated, and air pipes 9 lead from the interior of the cap 8 upwardly and inwardly under the roof of the silo into a dome 10 having air openings 11 therein, such arrangement permitting free circulation of ai from the top of the air space 6.

The silo is provided with an interior bottom 13, of cement or concrete, located there in well below the normal surface of the sur' rounding ground, a porous body 14 of filler material, such as cinders, being arranged under the bottom 13. Another porous body 15 is arranged surrounding the lower portion of the side wallsand below the normal surface of the ground, as shown, said body 15 consisting also of cinders, and a suitable drain 16 leads from the lower portion. of the body 15 to carry away water passing thereinto. Air circulation pipes 17 are extended from the body 15 into the body 14:, said pipes having upwardly turned outer ends in the body 15 and projecting well intoand terminating in the body 14:, permitting of free tr es,

circulation of air. Additional air circulatiug pipes 18 lead from the body 15 across and under the bottom 13, through the body 14, into the air space 6 on the opposite side of the silo, said air pipes 18 thus conducting air under and across the b'Ot EOIH'Of the silo below the normal frost line, thus heating said air in the winter and discharging the same into the lower portion of the wallspace 6.

In this way, a normal and constant air circulation will be kept up through the filler body under the bottom "of the silo and through the hollow walls thereof, thus tending to prevent fermentation and overheating in the summer, and prevent-freezing in the winter. w

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into efi'ect,'this is capable of variation and modification without d'ep'arting from the spirit of the invention/11, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such'variations and iodifications. as come within the scope of the appended claims. v

Having described my invention, whatl claim as new'and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A double silo comprising side walls and a bottom; a porous filler under said silo; and means connecting said porous filler and the space betweensaid walls for inducing a circulation of air therethrough, substantially as described.

3. A. silo having side walls and a bottom,

a body of porous material surrounding the lower portion of said side walls: a bottom for said silo; a filler of porous material located under said bottom; and means connecting the porous filler surrounding the lower portion of said side walls with the porous filler located beneath said bottom for introducing air thereiuto si'ibstantially described.

4. A silo comprising double side walls and a body of porous material surrounding the lower portion of said side walls; a bottom for said silo; a filler of porous material located under said bottom; means connecting said porous filler surrounding the lower portion of said side walls with the space between said side walls; and means connecting the I porous filler beneath the bottom of said silo with the porous filler surrounding the lower portion of said side walls, substantially as described.

5. A silo having double side walls with an air space between them; a body of porous material disposed beneath said silo; mea s for connecting said porous filler with the space between said walls; and means for permitting the escape of air from the top of said space, substantially as described.

6. A silo comprising side walls and a bottom; a porous filler under said bottom; and means for introducing air into said filler, substantially as described.

7; A silo comprisingside walls and a bottom; a filler of porous material under said bottom; and air pipes leading under said bottom and opening in said filler, substantially as described.

8. A silo comprising a foundation located. well below the normal surface of the ground; side walls for said silo located on said foundation and projecting therefrom above the ground; a body of porous material surrounding;- the lower portion of said side walls; a bottom for said silo positioned be low the normal level of the surrounding ground; a filler of porous material located under said bottom; and air pipes leading from said surrounding body of porous material into the filler body under the silo bottom, substantially as described.

9. A silo having double side walls with an air space between them; means permitting escape oi air from the upper end of said airspace; a body of porous material surrounding the lower end of said silo; a bottom for said silo positioned therein below the normal level of the surrounding ground; a filler of porous material below said bottom; and air pipes leading from said surrounding body across and under the bottom oi said silo and opening in the lower portion of said air space, substantially as described.

10. A silo comprising side walls and a bottom; said side walls being double with an air space between them; a body oi porous filler material located under the bottom of the silo; air pipes leading into said filler body; and air pipes extending across and under the bottom of said silo and into the lower portion of said air space, substantially as described.

11. A silo comprising a foundation located below the surface of the surrounding ground; double side walls supported on and extending upwardly from said loundation with an open air space between them; a body of porous material surrounding; the lower portion of said side walls below the normal surface of the surrounding ground; a bottom for said silo located therein below the normal surface of the surrounding ground; a filler body of porous material located under the silo bottom; air pipes leading from said surrounding porous body into said filler body; air pipes leading; from said sur rounding porous bottom across and under the silo bottom and into the lower portion of said air space, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EMERY C. HODG S.

Witnesses JOSHUA R. H. Por'rs, Rosn K. Tans. 

